Improvement in can-seaming machines



` E. R. BOWIB. Gan-SeamingvMaohine.

Y Patented' Jan. 8,1878.

Awww@ @Sir/ MMM UNITED STATES PATENT-OFFICE.

. EDWIN n. Bowrn, or Nnw BEDFORD, MAssAoHUsnTTsAssrGNor-i To f VEDWARDT. oovnLL, on sAMn PLAGE. i i

IMPROVEMENT lNdcAN-.sl-:A'Mme MAoI-HNES.`

' Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 198,965, datedJanuary 8, 187.8, application filed` v November 15,1877.

To all whom it may concern;-

-Be it known that I, EDWIN R. BOWIE, of New Bedford, Massachusetts, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Closing theScams of. Metallic Vessels,of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description. u

My present invention Vrelates to machinery for turning over andcompressing or closing the seams uniting the headwith-the body of cansof peculiar construction. The distinguishingfeature of such cans islthatthe seam is formed and perfected without the use of internal support ormandrels, but is closed or turned vdown upon the head itself, or upon anauxiliary or false head which maybe interposed between the head and theturned-down iiange. Y f

In illustration of or to exemplify such cans I would refer to the patentissued to E. T. Covell on the 7th dayof September, 1875, and to thatissued to said Covell, as assignee of Charles l?. Manfield, on the 6thdayof November, 1877. A y 4 The machine, therefore, which embodies myimprovements dispenses with the use of mandrels, either internal orexternal, but contains devices for the simultaneous turning over andclosing of all the flanges or seams oneither or both heads; and to -thiseffect my said invention consists in the `employment and use, incombination with a stationary angular supporting-frame and a movable orreciprocating angular follower, of angular jaws or aps actuated toconverge, for the purpose of turning over and compressing the flan gesagainst the heads of the can by means of the can itself when,restingupon its support, itis compressed between the said support and thefollower.

In order to enable others to make and use my said invention, andto'understand the manner in which the same is vor may be carried intoeffect, I shall now proceed to describe the same with reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of amachine constructed -in accordance with my said invention. Figs. 2 and 3are sectional views according to a plane through the center o f the canatan angle of forty-five degrees with the perpendicular, and passingthrough the operformed by the underside of the yoke. jaws arerectangular levers, having their fulcra inl the hinge referred to, andare, by av d ative parts of the machine, showingthe seam bending andcompressing jaws respectively open and closed.

In Fig. 4. I have shown a diagram of the can as the same appears beforeand after being operated upon bythe machine, the one end at A showingthe head as combined with the sides of the can in the former position,while the end B shows it so combined in the'latter position.

The frame of the machine consists of a pedestal, C, cast'in one piece orotherwise united with a goose-neck bracket, D, in' the top of which isthe bearing E of the main shaft, to which is or may be imparted rotarymovement from a belt over a pulley, F, or. by gearing, or by any othermechanismV driven by steam or other power. To the front end of theshaftv is secured a disk, Cr, and a connecting-rod or pitman, I, isattached at one `end to an eccentric pin, H, on said disk, and at theother to a sliding block, K, traveling, in vertical guides in the headof-the frame,"and imparting an up-and-down reciprocatingxmovement to thecross-head L, which carries on each extremity a segmental yoke, M. Thecontour of the interior or under side of these yokes is shaped Itoconform to the two adjoining sides of a can lof rectangular areaF-thatis to say, forming an angle of ninety degrees--which is so arranged thata vertical plane shall vbisectv the Each yoke on the exterior face ispro-'- angle. vided with lugs or knuckles a, to contain the hinge-pinsror pivotal axes of jaws N and N, whichl are thereby respectively heldin a line parallel with oneof the sides 'ofthe angle These spring in arecess in the yoke, thrown out and maintained in the position shown inFig. 2. .On the interior face of the yokes are lugs b, from which aresuspended, by means of loose spindles c, the platens C. These are plain-Vsurfaced plates, of the dimension correspond-A ing to that of a side ofthe lcamand extend transversely from one yoke to the other, en-

gaging from beneath one side of the jaw. l

The length of the spindle determines the` amount of play which eachplaten has toward and Vaway from the angular underside orclamping-surface of the yoke, and the movement of the platen controlsthe swinging or tilting action of the jaw.

In Figs. 2 and 3 the extreme positions are indicated. In the former gurethe platen is shown thrown out Iby the spring acting on the jaw-levers,which are engaged by the platen. In the latter the platen is shownforced back into its seat in the yoke, and tilting the jawlevers, thespring being compressed.

For the purpose of regulating the amount of play thus given the platenand the jaws, the spindles may be screw-threaded on either or both ends,and a movable head or nut may be applied to the one end, or it may bescrewed more or lessinto the platen at the other. Directly opposite, inthe same planes with and underneath the movable yokes, (provided withthe two platens arranged at right angles relatively to each other, andwith` four jaws, one on each outer end of each platen,) are arranged thexed yokes P, firmly secured upon a platform, R, supported by standards Qon the pedestal. These yokes carry two platens and four j aws, and theiraccessories, in themanner precisely similar to those of the movableyokes, differing from them only inthe arrangement-that is to say, whilethe angle in the movablev yokes, and consequently the angle which theplatens in the movable yokes form with each other, faces downward, thatof the Xed yokes and that of the platens within the iiXed yokes faceupward; but the vertical plane which bisects the one angle bisects alsokthe other.

On one side of the machine there is a disk, S, supported by a post orbracket in a position to afford an abutting-surface to the can whenplaced into the machine, and a similar disk, T, is arranged on theopposite side of the machine, to securely hold the can in position whilebeing operated Fupon. The latter disk is supported by a movable post ortiltingbar, V. A handle, W, is arranged for convenience of manipulation.

The operation of the machine is as follows: By proper revolution of thedriving-shaft the upper yoke is raised and the disk T is dropped, asshown in Fig. 1, to allow the can to be perfected to be placed `on thellower yokes, or, rather, to rest with its two contiguous sides upon thetwo platens when the can is brought home-11. e., when the one head buttsagainst the stationary disk S the movable disk T is lifted to closeagainst the other head of the can. The can thus securely held in theproper position, the driving-shaft is rotated, and the upper yokes arecaused to descend. During part of this descent, and until the platens ofthe upper yokes come in actual contact with thel can, the latter pressesupon the lower platens by its own weight, which is, however,insufficient to counteract the action of the springs, whereby theplatens are kept away from their seats, and whereby, also, the jaws arekept open or deflected from the seam-lian ge to be closed by them.

The moment the can is clasped on its four sides by theY lower and upperplatens the action of the eight jaws commences simultaneously, and iscontinued by the progress of the downward stroke of the upper yoke untilthe seam is completed, and this is effected in the manner as follows:The four platens surrounding the can, on compressing it, meet with acertain resistance. Being backed by springs, and loosely hung, as beforedescribed, the platens simultaneously yield, and by thus yielding act onthe lever ends of the jaws with which they are engaged, and cause themto tilt or close in against the heads of the can. In thus closing in thejaws meet the seamlanges of the can, which are bent and compressedagainst the head, as shown in Fig. 3. The action of the jaws, it will beobservedis regularly continuous or gradual and progressive. For thisreason the injurious effects attending blows or percussive action ofseam bending devices heretofore used are avoided.

When the seams of the can are thus closed and perfected, the can isreadily removed by dropping the can-confining disk T, and by raising theupper yoke.

Having thus described my said invention, and the manner in which thesame is or may be carried into effect, I would observe that manymodifications may be made to the machine herein described withoutdeparture from y I have shown the parts of the machine arranged withreference to cans the body of which has a square cross-section as thesimplest form, or the form which is most commonly in use 5 but anyquadrangular or polygonal shaped can, constructed with a seam which istobe turned down inwardlyupon the head or false head, can be operated uponin like manner by the means described by simply changing the form of theyokes and the number and arrangement of their intermediate platens andof the jaws accordingly.

kWhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patentis as follows:

l. A can-seaming machine in which the jaws for bending and compressingthe seams are arranged in frames or yokes closing against the can, andare operated by the can itself through the intermediary of mechanicaldepair of movable yokes similarly provided with Y `intermediate platensand seam bending and closing jaws, substantially as herein set forth. 3.The combination, with the stationary and movable can-confining frames oryokes, of f seam-closing jaws the pivotal axes of which are parallelwith the seam to be operated upon, substantially as set forth.

4f.v In a machine for closing and compressing seams of metal cans, thecombination, with the side platens, arranged in stationary and movableyokes to correspond to the sides of the can, and with jaws operated bysaid platens, of springs, arranged for operation substair tially asherein shown and described.

5. In a machine for closing and compressing seams of metal cans, theplatens loosely hung in the stationary and movable yokes, and the means,substantially as herein shown and described, for regulating their playWithin said yokes.

6. In a machine for closing and compressing seams of metal cans by meansof jaws operated automatically, as described and claimed, a stationaryand a movable end plate for hol ding the can confined in its properposition during the operation of closing the seam, substantially as setforth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name this 11th day ofOctober, A. D. 1877.

EDWIN R. BOWIE.

Witnesses ALANsoN BORDEN, ALBERT B. COLLINS.

